From February 21st to March 17th, 2024, at Space Willing N Dealing, sponsored by the MnJ Cultural Welfare Foundation, artist Gwen Seol will present her solo exhibition ≪NO POINT OF CONTACT≫. The installation work <Looking up Joshua Tree Park with the hope of finding your untraceable trace, but YouTube shorts connect me to someone’s disconnected memory that never ceases to stop like a revolving door> is composed of a total of 112 canvases.

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Each canvas comprising this artwork is overlaid with a total of 20 layers. Gwen Seol first creates a text-based blueprint specifying each layer, outlining the coordinates where form and color are positioned. The information values of the generated layers include the type of paint used, application method, color codes, transparency, and more. Unique colors are assigned to the shapes occupying these coordinates. The repetition of such directive actions by the artist has resulted in a clustered series. Moreover, a format has been established to determine the number and placement of canvases based on the specific exhibition space, providing elements that can transform the space into a setting for a installation of paintings. In this exhibition, the Space Willing N Dealing will once again transform into a wall orchestrated for her paintings, unified as one series.

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In each of Gwen Seol's canvases, there is a persistent effort to diagram the traces of fading memories. This process reflect the artist's relentless attempt to chase various traces left behind while simultaneously etching moments of memory. The artist searches for specific scenes she wanted to grasp in photos or videos posted on social media, or in these she personally posted. However, even when peering into sharp photos, the emotions about past memories and the circumstances of those moments gradually fade. Consequently, the artist remains uneasy, an emotion that leads her to convert the images and the time preserved in memory into a kind of data. The memory is transformed into precise data and within each canvas, abstract forms that serve as symbols float as substitutes for the shapes of memories that are unclearly reproduced, representing them symbolically.

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Gwen Seol states that she exclusively employs geometric shapes and lines with distinct boundaries of closed shapes, to clearly demarcate the boundaries between inside and outside. The geometric shapes, appearing cold and rigid, simultaneously possess a highly temporary and variable nature. This reflects the artist's process of reconstructing her own memories. As these shapes overlap and intertwine, memories vanish and reappear in new forms, allowing for a sensory perception of the boundaries between the external world and internal emotions. The meandering lines generated by these shapes and from another layer attempt to weave the entire composition into one cohesive entity, as if trying to experiment with new combinations. The artist establishes 20 layers, exploring her memories within the screen, and subtly modifies the composition when facing a new blank canvas. She continues this endeavor of refreshing her memories until all 112 canvases are filled.

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Gwen Seol explores the traces of moments that have already passed in fleeting images. She repetitively layers abstract form such as lines, colors, and planes in an attempt to capture what remains blurred. She presented a solo exhibition titled "AFTER, IMAGE" at Spectrum Gallery in 2022 and participated in group exhibitions such as "Fantasy without Original" at Onsu Space in 2023, "From Egg to Apple" at Shinhan Gallery in 2023, and "Material Cloud" at Artspace3 in 2022. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Chicago and a Master's degree in Painting from Seoul National University.